Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup semi-final
St Killian’s Garron Tower 1-9 St Patrick’s Maghera 1-2
EVEN allowing for the difficult conditions, a slippery Ballymena surface after a lot of rain, this was still a poor performance from the winning team. St Killian’s Garron Tower dominated the game in terms of possession and held St Patrick’s Maghera scoreless from open play, yet five minutes from time they held a tenuous two points’ lead.
Maghera then lost full back Mark McEldowney to a red card and Ciaran Magill sent over Garron Tower’s first point in 22 minutes. Pádraig McKillop provided the insurance point from a free and right at the death sub Daire Mort finished the game on a high with his side’s goal.
However St Killian’s will need to raise the bar significantly if they are to beat Cross and Passion in next week’s derby final.
Maghera pulled extra players back into defence from the start and soaked up all the pressure around the half-back line where James Duggan and Dara O’Kane broke up a number of promising Garron Tower moves.
However at the other end, there was little happening for Maghera with Liam McLoughlin and Aidan Scullion in total command, apart from an early scare when Daniel Kearney saved well from Oisin Madden.
Pádraig McKillop opened the scoring after nine minutes and three points midway through the opening half, two from free-taker Ciarán Magill and one from midfielder Cathal Hynds, should have given St Killian’s a good platform for the break, but they were only five to the good and Maghera still scoreless when the teams turned over.
Callum Kilgore and Ciarán Magill picked off two good points at the start of the second half, but then the scores dried up, while James Duggan from a free got Maghera off the mark in the 35th minute.
Three minutes later Cathal Murray was grounded in the area and Shea Cassidy found the net from the resultant penalty. When Duggan added another free in the 45th minute, Maghera were just two behind with the Tower struggling to add to their account.
The Antrim coast school left it late but they managed to notch the insurance scores and reach the decider with their neighbours to the north.
St Killian’s : D Kearney, J McAllister, L McLoughlin, O Gillan, M Emerson, A Scullion, P McKeegan, C Hynds (0-1), G Leech, C Kilgore (0-1), P McKillop (0-2, 0-1 free), C Magill (0-5, 0-3 frees), N McGarrell, F McQuillan, S O’Boyle
Subs : S McDonnell for S O’Boyle (39), D Mort (1-0) for P McKeegan (40), S McKenna for F McQuillan (54)
St Patrick’s : A Reid, J McGurk, M McEldowney, J Brunton, J Friel, C O’Kane, L Mullan, J Duggan (0-2 frees), P McCullagh, L Mac Giolla Fhiondáin, S Cassidy (1-0 pen), J McDermott, C Murray, D O’Kane, O Madden
Subs : P McLoughlin for J McGurkl (HT), M Downey for L Mac Giolla Fhiondáin (42)
Referee : Cathair Cunning (Dunloy).
